Marcela Miranda, my maternal grandmother, was born in Arizona’s copper country in 1914. She lived in the United States until she was seven. Her parents were among those from El Cargadero, Zacatecas, who started families in the U.S. during the Mexican Revolution in the 1910s and the Cristero Revolt in the 1920s. Many returned to their home village once things settled.
After growing up in Mexico, my grandmother moved to California with my grandfather and their children in the 1960s. Despite being a native-born U.S. citizen, society considered her Mexican. To us, her grandchildren, she was ‘doña’ Mama Chela, a dignified Mexican lady. Her early memories of Arizona included snippets of nursery rhymes like “Did You Ever See a Lassie?” and “The Bear Went Over the Mountain.”
The El Cargadero diaspora largely settled in Anaheim. They saw their American birth as a valuable opportunity to enter the U.S. legally, giving their descendants advantages other Mexicans couldn’t access. I’ve recounted this story throughout my journalism career, and no one has questioned my depiction of my grandmother as an immigrant.
Becerra’s family history reflects many Mexican Americans’ experience: Born in the U.S., raised in Mexico, and returning later.
Steve Hilton, a Republican candidate for California governor, criticized Democratic opponent Xavier Becerra during a CNN debate, alleging misrepresentation of his immigrant roots. Becerra shared his father, Manuel’s, story of being born in Sacramento in 1928 and moving to Mexico as a child, eventually returning to California. Hilton claims Becerra as a fraud for these statements.
Hilton, supported by President Trump, accused Becerra of lying to gain identity points. Becerra’s critics scrutinized his family history, arguing against his immigrant identity due to his father’s California birth.
Many Mexican Americans see family raised in Mexico as immigrants, whether U.S.-born or not. Growing up in Mexico influences language, work ethic, and cultural understanding. Returning to the U.S., they often face challenges assimilating, similar to those born abroad.
Cal State Fullerton professor Alexandro José Gradilla remarked that labeling Becerra’s family as non-immigrants misunderstands historical context. The practice of moving between countries was common among past generations, not unlike European immigrants who returned home with U.S.-born children.
Becerra’s critics’ notion of a single immigration move perpetuates an American myth. The historical narrative of such movements is neither new nor isolated to Latino communities. Gradilla noted that understanding Mexican American identity requires acknowledging a history of forced relocations and return migrations.
Hilton’s argument fails to capture Mexican Americans’ complex relationship with migration. As Becerra responded, Hilton, an immigrant himself, overlooks nuanced experiences shaping Mexican American lives.
Becerra expressed that his father, despite his birthright citizenship, faced discrimination for his Mexican heritage. Becerra’s calling of Hilton’s ignorance highlights political misunderstandings about Mexican American identity. To grasp this complexity, one must study Chicano history and engage with its cultural narratives.